Machine for attaching fastenings to attache cases, trunks, and the like



C. W. CHENEY MACHINE FOR ATTACHING FASTENINGS TO ATTACHE CASES, TRUNKS, AND THE LIKE Filed Nov. 25, 1958 s Sheet-Sheet 1 ch rluwiniq c 'f'g A ttorney I 2,221,832 TRUNKS, AND 'THE LIKE Nov. 19, 194-0.

c. w. CHENEY MACHINE FOR ATTACHING FASTENINGS TO ATTACHE CASES,

Filed Nov. 25, I958 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 by W Attorney CHE CASES, TRUNKS, AND, THE LIKE Nov. 19, 194-0. c. w. CHENEY MACHINE FOR ATTACHING FASTENINGS TO ATTA 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed NOV. .25, 1938 464 Attorney,

Patented Nov. 19, 1940 UNITED STATES MACHINE FOR ATTACHING FASTENINGS TO ATTACHE CASES, LIKE TRUNKS, AND THE Charles William Cheney, Soho, Birmingham,

England Application November 25, 1928, Serial No. 242,218

In Great Britain November 2'7, 193? 7 Claims.

A fastening for an attache case, trunk or the like usually comprises two members, the one a lock member and the other a hinged hasp member, to be attached to the body and lid respectively of the case.

A machine of the plunger-press type having upper and lower tools has been used for attaching a lock member having prongs, which, on the descent of the plunger, penetrate the material of the case and are clinched down. Such a machine is described and illustrated in the specification of applicant's United States Letters Patent No. 1,955,790. Heretofore, the hasp member had to be attached to the case by hand in proper position relative to the lock member.

The present invention has for its object to provide a plunger-press type machine for attaching a hasp member having penetrating and clinching prongs in proper position relative to a previously attached lock member by a single stroke of the plunger.

The invention provides a machine of the aforesaid'type wherein each pair of tools comprises a positioning device arranged in alignment with a seating for a hasp member to be attached, said positioning device being adapted to engage a hole or a projection of the previously attached lock member, in combination with means for accurately positioning the lid longitudinally in correct relationship to the body.

The invention also combines with the aforesaid positioning device and longitudinal positioning means, an adjustable stop-gauge to determine the correct transverse position of the hasp member on the lid relative to the lock member on the body.

The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a machine for simultaneously attaching two hasp members to the lid of a case.

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a machine according to the invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevationof Fig. 1, partly in section.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional plan of a portion of Fig. 1 on the dotted line A-A.

Fig. 4 is a sectional side elevation of a pair of tools at the end of the penetrating action and before clinching.

Fig. 5 is a front elevation of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of a modified form of the invention incorporating a stop-gauge.

Fig. '7 is a sectional plan of Fig. 6 on the dotted line 13-13.

Referring to Figs. 1-5 inclusive, the frame I respective bars.

of the machine has rigid arms 2, 2 at its sides, and a rigid central tie bar 3, to immovably support a horizontally disposed anvil bar 4. A vertically projecting rigid pillar 5 supports a reciprocable plunger 6 to be operated by a lever 1 from a treadle action not shown.

At its lower end, the plunger 6 carries a horizontal pressure bar 8. Upon this pressure bar, there are mounted two upper tools 9, 9, while the anvil bar 4 carries two lower tools It, Ii]. tools 9, 9 and M3,), are adjustable along their Each pair of upper and lower tools 9, i0 is fixed in its adjusted position, and

The

both tool pairs operate simultaneously when the p plunger moves downwardly.

All the aforesaid features are known, the action of the tools for penetrating and clinching being substantially in accordance with the prior patent referred to; the present invention concerns solely the relative positioning of the fastening members. i I

An attache case H comprises a body IZ'and a lid l3 hinged to the body at l4, said body having already attached thereto flat plate-like lock members l5, I5, a definite distance apart. Each lock member l5v comprises a casing I! provided with a rectangularslot l6 and, within the casing, a slidable bolt l8having a nose IS. The hasp members 20, 29 have each an attachment plate 2! to be .attachedto the lid l3 and a hasp 22 hinged to said plate and carrying a loop 23 for engagement with the bolt nose IS.

A rigid arm 24 formedwith a slot 25 (Fig. 2) projects rearwardly from the back of each lower tool Hi and carries a. positioning projection 26 of a shape corresponding to that of the loop 23 of thehasp member 20. The slot 25 renders it possible to adjust the position of the projection 26 on the arm 24 longitudinally, and said projection 26 is fixed after adjustment by means of a screwnut 59.

Each lower tool it comprises two vertical side bars 21, 21, between which the upper tool 9 slides vertically. Also between the side bars 21 and below the upper tool 9, there is slidably mounted a carrier 28 having a seating 29 adapted to support a hasp member 20 to be attached to the casing, said seating 29 being in alignment with the positioning projection 26. The carrier 28 is urged upwardly against a stop (not shown) by means of a pressure spring 30. Each lower tool l D has a vertically movable pressure plate 3| normally forced upwardly by aspring 32 and formed with holes ,33, 33 having inclined walls 34, 34 and arranged to be engaged by stationary clinching pegs 35, 35.

Slidably mounted on the anvil bar 4 on the outer sides of both lower tools I6, there are positioning blocks 36, 36. Each positioning block 36 is formed at its rear with a positioning angular abutment 31 adapted to be engaged by an edge of a side wall 38 of the case body I2, and at its front with a positioning gap 39 adapted to be engaged by the edge of a side Wall 40 of the lid I3 of the case II, said abutment 31 and gap 39 being so related that when the body I2 and lid I3 engage the same both body and lid are in correctly aligned positions for attaching the hasp member 20 to the lid.

Figs. 6 and 7 in which the same reference characters are used as in Figs. 1-5 to denote corresponding parts, illustrate the tools of a modified embodiment of the invention. The lower tool l of the modification is provided With a slidable stop-gauge 4| arranged transversely of the lower tool II). The stop gage 4| comprises ascending rear posts 42, 42 adapted to co-operate with the longitudinal edge 43 f the case body I2, a. depending front plate 44 adapted to co-operate with the inner face 45 of the lid I3, and side bars 46, 46 slidable in grooves 41, 41 in the lower tool ID. The positioning projection 26 is non-adjustable, and the hasp carrier 28 is formed as a vertically slidable pillar arranged centrally of the tools 9 and H) and having upper and lower shoulders 48, 49 to co-operate with upper and lower faces 56 and respectively, of the upper tool 9. The pillar 28 comprises further a peg 52 engaging a stationary limb spring 53 to provide frictional resistance to the vertical movement of said pillar.

The application of a pair of hasps to the lid of a case is performed in the following manner:

First, a hasp member 20 is hand applied to each seating 29 in the carriers 28, 28 to be supported thereby. Then, the tools 9, 9 and I0, I6 are adjusted to their correct positions on their respective bars 8 and 4 and the positioning projections 26, 26 are also adjusted to their correct positions on the rigid arms 24, 24. Thereafter, a case II, comprising a body l2, and a lid I3, hinged thereto at I4, and having a pair of lock member's I5, attached to the body I2 a definite distance apart, is placed in the machine in upright and open condition with its body I2 disposed at the rear of the tools 9 and I0 and the lock members I5, I5 snap engaged with the positioning projections 26, 26. The positioning blocks 36, 36 are adjusted along the anvil bar 4 so that the angular abutments 31, 31 engage the respective side walls 38 of the body I2. The lid I3 of the case II is swung upwardly and inwardly by hand so that its longitudinal wall 55 rests on the pressure plates 3|, 3| and its side walls 46, 40 engage the gaps 39, 39 whereby the lid I3 is now correctly aligned with respect to the body I2. In this position, in which the lid I3 is held by hand, the case II is supported solely by the positioning projections 26, 26 and the pressure plates 3|, 3|. The treadle mechanism is then operated, causin the upper tools 9, 9 to descend and, by means of shoulders 56, 56 abutting against the upper faces 5'1, 51 of the carriers 28, 28, to pick up said carriers so as to move the same downwardly. In this position, the under'surfaces 5B, 58 of the tools 9, 9 rest upon the upper faces of the attachment plates 2|, 2| for backing. Continuing the movement, the hasp prongs penetrate the lid l3 and are inclined towards each other by the inclined walls 34, 34 until the attachment plates 2 I, 2| rest on the lid. Further downward movement of the plunger causes the pressure plates 3|, 3| to descend against the action of the springs 32, 32 so that the pegs 35, clinch the prongs.

The treadle mechanism is then released and the lock members I5, I5 are removed from the positioning projections 26, 26 by withdrawal of the bolts I 8, I8, whereupon the entire case II can be removed with the hasp members 26, 20 attached to the lid I3 in correct longitudinal relationship, with respect to the lock'members I5, I5.

The Operation of a machine embodying mechanism according to Figs. 6 and 7 differs from that previously described in that the inner face 45 of the lid I3 is pressed against the front plate 44 of a stop-gauge 4| to slide the same from its forward position indicated in dotted lines rearwardly until its rear posts 42, .42 abut against the longitudinal edge 43 of the body whereby the lid I3 is correctly positioned transversely for attaching the hasp members 20, 20 thereto.

The terms hasp and lock and body and lid are interchangeable.

The invention may be successfully employed in an instance where two engaging and disengaging complementary members are to be attached in correct relationship, one member to one part of the case and the other member to the other part of the case. If the lock member has a circular hole in its front plate, the positioning projection would 'be equivalent to the notched peg provided upon the hasp member to ordinarily engage this hole, if there is a projecting stud on the lock member and a corresponding hole to enage said stud in the hasp member, the positioning projection would be formed with a hole to engage the stud.

Having now described my invention what I claim and desire to secure on Letters Patent is:

1. A machine for attaching hasps to attache cases consisting each of a lid portion and a body portion, the latter being provided with a lock member, said machine comp-rising a frame, a plunger reciprocably mounted on said frame, an upper tool carried by said plunger, a lower tool supported on said frame for cooperation with said upper tool, said upper and lower tools being adjustable lengthwise of said frame, a seating for a hasp on one of said tools, and a positioning device carried upon one tool in alignment with said seating, said positioning device being adapted to engage the lock member on the body portion of the case.

2. A machine, as claimed in claim 1, comprising means carried by said frame and hand adjustable thereon to accurately position the lid portion of the case in relation to its body portion.

3. A machine, as claimed in claim 1, comprising a stop gauge carried by one of said tools for adjustment'transversel thereof to determine the correct transverse position of the hasp member on the lid to the lock member previously attached to the body.

4. A machine, as claimed in claim 1, in which said lower tool comprises a vertically movable carrier in which the hasp seating is formed, and a rearwardly projecting arm mounted on a fixed part of said lower tool and carrying said positioning device.

5. A machine, as claimed in claim 1, comprising a positioning block carried by and longitudinally adjustable with respect to said frame, said Positioning block being shaped to cooperate with '7. A machine, as claimed in claim 1, in which one of said tools comprises guide means engaging the other tool to allow only vertical movements of one tool relative to the other, whereby the two tools form a pair which is longitudinally 5 adjustable as a unit.

CHARLES WILLIAM CHENEY. 

